There is a difference between enjoying God's abundant provisions and elusive obsession called success? First, discover what success truly means and then be willing to work hard and smart for it with every talent you possess and expect great results through the help and grace of God. Paul writes "...be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless”. As Christians, we are not only allowed to strive for success; we’re told how to be successful “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” Joshua 1:7-9. God’s intention for His people is for them to succeed gallantly in every area of their lives and only by obeying God’s word and serving Him can true success be achieved in life. All you need to succeed in life is already programed in you by God through Christ Jesus. “Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant” Psalm 35:27.
We must ask this question, what is it that would make God see me as a success? One of the greatest achievements in life is a passionate desire to be the person He has called you to be and to faithfully follow His plan, purpose and design for your life. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” Jeremiah 29:11. Our success depends on being who God wants us to be. Secondly, it depends on doing what He calls us to do. God must always be the focus. It’s not about us but about Him. Our goal is to fully realize what He has set forth for us. Our victories belong to Him, and He deserves all the praise and glory. You cannot be successful if you leave the Lord out of your life issues. By the world’s standard, you may appear to “have arrived,” but what is the eternal value of fame and fortune if I may ask? Life without Christ is s life of crisis.
There is no doubt that God is interested in our success! Not only is He interested, but He encourages us to be triumphant and victorious. The story of Joseph in Genesis chapters 37-50 is a picture of how God can make an ‘outcast’ to become a force to reckon with. He took Joseph from prison to palace. By the world’s standards, he was finished from the start. Joseph had been beaten and sold into slavery by his own brothers, and for years he lived a life of servitude and imprisonment. However, in everything Joseph was faithful and God made him successful. He later became the prime Minister of Egypt. God planned out his life, even during those years when all seemed hopeless. Moses, David, Nehemiah, and Joshua attained great successes in their endeavors by the help a loving God. The Apostles spread the good news of salvation throughout the world of their time and they very successful or there will be no churches today. All these men of faith discovered what the Lord wanted them to do, committed their lives to it, followed godly principles, and achieved their goals. In God’s eyes, they were all successful.
God provides for us to succeed. When God asked Solomon to build the Temple, He gave him supplies through people around him. “And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have considered the things which thou sentest to me for: and I will do all thy desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir. My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon unto the sea: and I will convey them by sea in floats unto the place that thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive them: and thou shalt accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household 1Kings 5: 8-9”.
God equips us for success. God spoke to Moses in the bush which was on fire but did not burn up. God used this miraculous event to inform Moses that He wanted him to return to Egypt and lead His people out to the promised land. We learned through the burning bush miracle that serving Christ involves taking risks. To obey God’s call to return to Egypt Moses would have to change his mindset, be ready probably for torture and ridicule! He would have to leave the comfort and security of Midian where he had tended sheep for his father-inlaw for forty years and return to Egypt. In Egypt he would confront Pharoh and lead about two million Jews out of Egypt. God reassured Moses that the Jews would be receptive to his leadership and Pharoh would let them leave, eventually. God had been preparing Moses for this assignment and this great change in his life. Moses had been raised in Pharoh’s palace. He had lived there for forty years learning the protocol of how the Egyptian government worked. He was an insider at some point of his life. This knowledge would be very helpful to Moses as he and Aaron confronted Pharoh and told him to let the Israelites leave Egypt.
As we examine the way God prepared Moses for his ministry we must remember that God has prepared us for the ministries to which He called us. Throughout these changes we must remember that God has been preparing us for changes and different callings! He calls us to be shining lights in this dark and idolatrous world. He has provided what we need in order to be successful men and woman. Every believer has been given certain talents and spiritual gifts. These powerful gifts enable us to do the things that God calls us to do. The Lord has also equipped us by giving us the presence of His indwelling Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings us into intimate fellowship with the heavenly Father, empowers our daily lives, teaches us the things of God, and gives us great success.
As believers we can be successful in life only when we yield completely to the leading, direction, and empowerment of God’s Spirit. The Lord is concerned about our success. Since He determines our goals and destinies, He equips us to meet them, we should never be ashamed to claim and enjoy the blessings He gives for that purpose. We must often take an honest look at how we define success, and then align our understanding with Scripture. The only one way we’ll ever achieve true success is God’s way.